A snowstorm frenzied through the forest of Austertana, Norway. Trees creaked as they bowed in submission to the forceful wind, a few limbs giving way and crashing into the wall of a remote mansion. The towering structure stood in almost complete darkness. A small amount of light was emanating from a single window on the second floor. The window gave view of a child's bedroom decorated in lace, pinks, and teddy bears. In the center stood a small silver-haired child and a tall distorted man. "Little One, you have to let go now. It's time for me to leave." The dark figure cooed to the small angelic child before him as he gently smoothed her silver hair back. "But I don't want you to go..." Her words trailed off as tears glistened in the child's blue and red hazel eyes. She would typically fight them back, but the young girl was hoping if she let him see her tears, then the man would not leave. "Esper, your new friends are arriving. You are going to have so much fun with the

   After dinner, Esper excused herself and made her way outside to a balcony. She stood in the cold and braced her arms on the railing, collecting her thoughts and processing them. There were so many new faces and names, all of which were from the highest of nobility. Taking a deep breath, Esper slouched over the railing and exhaled slowly.      "Long night?" A voice sounded from the doorway. She looked back to see the black-haired and red-eyed vampire approaching her. Esper recognized him as the late arrival.      "You are Seraph, right?" Esper hoped she had guessed the proper name. He nodded, confirming she was correct. The small victory gave her a brief feeling of relief.    "Not so much a long night, just a lot to take in." Esper sighed as she looked up towards the sky. It was so clear up in the lonely mountains. Her father had chosen the perfect location to

   Sticking her hands in her pockets, Esper began her trek upstairs to the music room. With the alone time, she wanted to get in some cello practice. When she reached the door, Esper lingered and ran her fingers along the door frame. This was her favorite room in the entire house, a place where nothing mattered except music.     Esper glided over to the center of the room where her cello rested in its stand. It looked regal with its shiny black shellac. She sat down, bringing the instrument toward her until it rested between her legs and against her shoulder. The vampire inhaled slowly and let the bow dance across the strings, playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The melody flowed through the hallways, the somber notes filling the houseguests' ears as they finished cleaning up.       "What is that," Remy asked, his ears perking up at the sound.      &

   Wanting to reach the sanctuary of her room before the panic attack hit, Esper raced out of the ballroom. She heard Maxim call out, but she didn't turn back. It was embarrassing for Esper to not make it through one conversation about her mother without crying. She didn't want Maxim to see her fall apart.      Once she was in her room's safety, Esper immediately stripped out of her dress and threw it aside. She curled up in her bed as she tried to fight back the tears. All Esper wanted was for the night to end.      A gentle knock sounded at the door, but Esper chose to ignore it. She didn't want anyone to see her in this state. The person knocked again; this time, more concerned.     "Hun, can I come in," Saffron called out. Esper stayed silent. The brunette vampire sighed and opened the door anyway. "I am not leaving you alone in here to cry through the day."